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- Sir John French was a casualty of the battle. The confusion over the reserves combined with a determined campaign by Douglas Haig resulted in his removal as commander of the BEF. On 16 December Douglas Haig was appointed to command the BEF, a post he would hold for the rest of the war.
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Although BEF commander Field Marshal Sir John French disagreed with Joffre, he was obliged to consent in the spirit of political cooperation. Joffre planned two widely separated offensives: Champagne in the southeast and Artois in the northeast. It was essentially the same offensive as in the spring, but on a larger scale.
Field Marshal Sir John French and Douglas Haig (GOC First Army), regarded the ground south of La Bassée Canal, which was overlooked by German-held slag heaps and colliery towers, as unsuitable for an attack, particularly given the discovery in July that the Germans were building a second defensive position behind the front position.
- 25 September-8 October 1915
- German victory
Sir John French agreed, confirming that he would attack on the front between Grenay and the La Bassée Canal as suggested by Joffre. This was a few miles to the south of the disastrous May attacks at Aubers and Festubert. He ordered Sir Douglas Haig, commanding First Army, to prepare a detailed plan.
It dealt with the fighting during the summer of 1915 and the largest offensive yet undertaken, the Battle of Loos. French goes into some depth concerning the deployment of the reserves for this battle – a matter over which he was eventually sacked.
Feb 26, 2020 · In the end, the “big push” of 1915 ended in failure, with more than 50,000 British casualties. As a result of what was seen as a significant failure on the part of staff work and generalship at Loos, Field Marshal Sir John French was replaced by his subordinate, Sir Douglas Haig.
French’s final battle, Loos in September 1915, was symptomatic of these troubles. The operational commander, Sir Douglas Haig (1861-1928) (GOC First Army), became convinced that the attack at Loos should go “all-out” and aim for a breakthrough, which he believed could be facilitated by using chlorine gas to precede the assault.
May 18, 2024 · In 1915 the battles of Neuve-Chapelle (from March 10), Ypres again (from April 22), and Loos (from September 25) also produced no Allied advance. French’s indecisive use of his reserves at Loos led to his removal. French was created a viscount in 1916 and an earl in 1922.
